Fallen Eagles
by Snazzy Assassins
Summary: In which Federico survives and is brainwashed into becoming a tool of murder for the templars, but reunites with Ezio in Venice years later. However, things do not go as expected (No beta)
1. Mistakes

It'd been in the heat of the moment.

After, seemingly, loosing everyone he loved, Federico had been willing to believe anyone.. even the Templars. He never knew how he got into that position, how he had become so hopeless as to believe those scum.

But he had. And it was much to late now to retract that mistake.

From twenty, it'd been engraved in him by those bastards that the only thing he had left in the world was them. That the Assassins had betrayed him. That they had failed to save his family Qand after so many times, for so many days, of being told the same thing over and over.. Federico began to believe it.

He was a shell of the man he once been. His smiles weren't genuine, his eyes were dull and lacking of the light and twinkle they once had, his emotions had been numbed, he had become nothing more than a weapon of murder. The oldest Auditore siblings had been constantly sent out to murder Assassins, unknowingly destroying the order his ancestors had fought so hard to protect.

The order his father had, supposedly, died for.

He had even saved that bastard, that pale, black haired boy who his brother had despised; Vieri.

Even now Federico didn't know why he had done it, but he had. So, when said younger man had told him to hunt down someone in Venice, he had taken it on like any other. Kill the Assassin, get what he needed, leave and report back.

Hunting upon roof tops like an eagle searching for prey, his eyes narrowed. He lacked the talent, that being Eagle Vison, his father and younger brother owned. However, his eyes were still keen. His target (no, his prey) had been clothed in white robes, robes that stuck out like a sore thumb under the reflected moon's light. The Assassin had been dashing atop roof tops, searching for something of his own. When he seemed to have found it, Federico sprung.

He felt his sword rip through cloth, but also skin. He couldn't see the victim's face, but it wouldn't matter. He would be dead within seconds, then thrown into a river once his secrets were revealed.

So when he though back, Federico was shocked by his skill. A sharp, stinging pain shot through his cheek as a gash was delivered upon it and whilst he was distracted, Federico earned a punch to the face. He grunted when he dropped back but delivered a kick to the other, hitting his foot and causing him to fall.

He had a set of hidden blades, but Federico refused to let that intimidate him. That bastard and his order had failed to save him and his family, so they deserved to die.

Every last one of them.

The Assassin, who Federico could only guess was younger, stood only moments after the other had. He went in for the attack, his actions reckless. Reckless rage, the older of the two recognised. A foolish mistake.

The sword plunged into the others stomach, tearing through muscle, skin and cloth. When it was retracted, it was covered in dripping blood. The other then fell back, his hood falling from his now pale face. The clouds then parted, the moon light falling onto the victim's face. Blood streamed from his mouse and leaked from his stomach. The Assassin attempted to stop the bleeding with a weak hand, but the blood refused to stop.

Federico was about to demand answers when the moonlight revealed he other's identity, and his eyes grew wide...

No, no he.. How had he not recognised him.. it had been in the heat of the moment, and Federico had been so focused on.. he. No anyone but him- how had he?!-

"Ezio!-"


	2. Panic

He.. he had stabbed his own little brother! Federico couldn't believe it himself. No, no this had to be some sort of nightmare! A nightmare fuelled from guilt and regret.

But the sting on his cheek.. that was real. That could only mean this wasn't a dream, that he had actually stabbed his little brother in the stomach! He bent down, holding his baby brother in his arms and pressing down on the bleeding wound. He looked down at Ezio, taking in his face.. how much he had changed.

"Ezio! My god I am so sorry!" He wailed, holding his brother close to him, pressing his hands harder onto the wound. It was bleeding furiously, having already stained most of the clothing around it. "You'll be fine, I'll get you to a-"

"Federico.." Ezio's voice was quiet, worn out and tired. He looked up at his older brother, not even bothering to try and hide the pain. Federico noticed this and he felt his stomach drop. "D.. don't bother, fratello." He rasped.

What was he saying?! Why was he so calm? He had just been stabbed by his own brother! Federico would've spoken, would've tried to reassure him but Ezio insisted on talking still.

"It's good to see you again.. I thought you died, hung.. all those years ago-"

Federico couldn't let him continue and voiced his thoughts. "How are you so calm?! I just stabbed you in the stomach! How..?" He hadn't even realised he was crying until he was unable to speak, his throat tight and dry. He couldn't let Ezio bleed out, he refused to loose him! But his little brother only smiled.

"Because I don't fear death and fate has been kind to me.. dying in my brother's arms. It wasn't your fault, you didn't know.. I saw your shock, I'm dying but I'm not blind." Ezio spluttered out, blood running down his chin from the corner of his mouth. "I don't want to die angry, I don't have any regrets.. I'm with my lost brother, and that's all that matters." He explained with a smile, resting his head against Federico's chests. For a moment, the older brother thought he had lost him.

So he stood, holding his brother bridal style and taking off across the rooftops. Panic coursed through him. What if he didn't save Ezio, what if he was too late?

No! He would not loose Ezio!


	3. Refusal

"Federico, taking me to the doctor won't save me in time."

Ezio almost whimpered, looking up to the panicking Federico. The older brother could tell he was tired and possibly growing frustrated, but he refused to let him die. However, once more Ezio interrupted him when he was about to speak. "I'd much rather die in the arms of my brother than the hard, a..austere table of a medicine man." He stammered. He was struggling.

Federico shook his head, holding his little brother closer as tears streamed down his face like water falls. He held the weak boy close. Rain had begun to fall, hitting painfully against the older Auditore's face. But this went ignored, as did the rumbling thunder. He ran as fast as he possibly could, only dropping from the roofs when he realised he was putting Ezio at risk by being upon the wet, slippery tiles.

He cursed to himself, realising he was going much too slow. He looked down at his brother, once more fearing he had lost him. Thankfully, the older came close to a doctor. He had also yet to lose his little brother..

There was still time.

"Doctore!" He almost screamed, running over to him at full speed. But the plague doctor didn't see pleased to see him and chose to scream back, his voice firm and snappy.

"No! I am taking no one else, I have enough bodies to-" but Federico snapped back, screaming about how urgent his situation was, gripping Ezio close. He insisted Ezio wasn't a body, that he was still alive and breathing. "Fine, but cause trouble and the guards will have your heads!"

Ushering them inside, the doctor began to prepare. Federico had laid Ezio down on a cold table, not paying attention to anything but his little brother, holding onto him still. "You'll be fine, I promise." He whimpered. He was forced back when the doctor began to strip Ezio of his clothes.

But he paused just as he had begun, not even having discovered the wound when he pulled back with his hands up. The doctor's old, greying eyes were wide.

Federico would've spoke, had the doctor not beat him to it.

"No, he is a dead man. Take him and go, I'm not wasting resources on a man who is doomed to die." He snapped.

Unbeknownst to the two brothers, he had recognised Ezio as the assassin who had been 'terrorising' Venice.

The older Auditore refused to kill another, not after what had happened, and was forced to flee with Ezio as guards were called.


	4. Fallen

Once more, Federico found himself running with Ezio's body.. no, not his body.. he wasn't dead yet- no, he wouldn't die at all!

Federico refused to be responsible for the death of Ezio!

He soon found himself running through allyways in order to lose the guards currently chasing them. Federico didn't know the streets of Venice as well as he did Florence and found himself lost many a time, even contemplating jumping into the river.

Then, like fate decided to finally be kind, he found a courtyard. He ran through, laying his little brother down before looking back behind them. The guards ran past, not even considering to look around. Federico held his breath, before then turning back to Ezio. He picked him up in his arms, looking down at the wound that.. that was still bleeding.

"It's fine.." Ezio's voice then broke the silence but it was quiet and raspy. He looked up at his brother, his eyes dull and his skin pale. "Don't bother. I'm dying, Federico..."

Despite the fact that Ezio had said those same words once before, it still broke him to hear his baby brother utter it again.

Had.. had Ezio given up?!

"No, fratello I-" he cut himself off this time, looking into the eyes of his dying.. no not... yes, yes his dying brother.. he held him close, tears falling from his eyes as he looked to his little brother. "I'm sorry.. I... I'm so sorry!" He wailed, ignoring the rain that battered against his face as he held Ezio close.

But.. Ezio only smiled, his eyes still dull and his skin still pale. He spoke, quietly;

"It's not your fault and it will never be your fault. I'm dying peacefully, in the arms of the brother I thought I lost."

Then he uttered words that Federico had never thought he'd hear again.

"It was a good life we lead, it was the best but-" he cut off coughing, blood running down his mouth still. Federico sat him up, rubbing his back. Once the younger of the two siblings was done, Federico spoke for himself.

However, the dark thoughts of what he wished to say stayed.

'It's a good life we lead... and I ruined it.'

He chose to not even think those words any long, as to not ruin Ezio's peace.

"It changed. But, it never did change us. Not completely.." he whimpered, holding Ezio close still. "I'll see you in the next life.. I- I promise you."

"Good.. take care of yourself, fratello.."

Ezio looked as if he wished to say more, but his energy had left him. He began to breathe heavily, clinging onto his brother.

After a while, Federico looked down to see that Ezio had died with a smile.


End file.
